Scarlet Heart: Ryeo 달의 연인 - 보보경심 려 Review

★★★★★

The 2016 Korean drama, starring Lee Ji-Eun (IU) as Go Ha-Jin/Hae Soo, Lee Joon-Ki as 4th Prince Wang So, and Kang Ha-Neul as 8th Prince Wang Wook.



Brief synopsis: Go Ha-Jin has hit rock bottom when she tries to save a little boy in a lake, but finds herself pulled down under by a mysterious force. When she comes up, she is no longer at the lake, but in a royal Goryeo bathing house! She's been transplanted into the body of the 8th Prince's cousin-in-law, Hae Soo. After getting her bearings about where and when she is, she realizes that these young men around her are the famous characters in history she only learned about in school. She takes it upon herself to try to change their fate, especially that of the dangerous 4th Prince Wang So. But when she becomes more involved in the princes' lives than she wanted to be, things get a little out of hand...



This drama should come with a warning label, not just a historical disclaimer. The emotions run high. It's like the roller coaster at the amusement park you always looked at and thought "Oh, that's probably just for kids bigger and stronger than me," but then you try it anyways and it gave you such a thrill while you were up there, but then you come down and you feel nauseous. You realize that maybe next time you should prepare yourself a little bit more. This drama has a similar effect. The warning label would probably say: "Watch only if secure of emotional strength," or "Don't get your hopes up."



To avoid excessive spoilers, I will not mention any major plot events. It would be too easy to reveal everything right up front, and watching a drama after that is a little difficult (I should know...). But I will mention that this drama isn't really meant to have a happy ending. The acting, production, and OST are great, but the story is supposed to portray a few lessons. The plot's timeline jumps around a little bit, sometimes skipping forward in time months and even years. I almost expected every character to be old and decrepit in the final scenes! I think this is because the drama was painted around these concepts instead of Wang So and Hae Soo's relationship. It is easy to expect that the timeline is the way it is because of their relationship, but in the ending made me doubt that a bit.

The dominant theme I found was the idea of losing love for power. What was the problem? Where did it go wrong for these characters? Upon reflection, it had to be their prioritizing. That's why I  became gradual more annoyed with Wang So and Wang Wook. Their characters were pure in nature, but then their messed up priorities led them to place the throne above all else. They chose power over love. I appreciated Baek Ah, Eun, and Jung so much more because they seemed to have their heads screwed on straight. In the end, Eun and Jung chose to live off and die off love, and seemed a mite happier than the other characters. Of course, the drama is all pretty miserable, but Baek Ah, Eun, and Jung had a greater shot for joy.



It's arguable that the theme was very "Beauty and the Beast," but I'd have to say that only lasted the first half. Once Hae Soo helped Wang So with the rain ritual, his popularity for bad luck and misfortune disappeared. It became too political after that. Moreover, doesn't "Beauty and the Beast" have a happy ending?



"Scarlet Heart: Ryeo" has gained a lot of popularity since it started airing because it brought in great talent and execution together in a harmonious blend. Lee Joon-Ki remains one of the most requested action and historical genre actors in Korea. And can we go wrong with IU? This drama is a fantastic historical drama. That should not be mistaken. The actors were all fantastic. The plot was complex but complete. Even the music was well placed! The only issue is the intensity of the emotional roller coaster. Every drama has one, but this one is particularly intense. I cried more in one day over this drama than I can typically muster within two months.



I know a lot of people want this drama to get a second season, but that’s not going to happen. It is supposed to end a tragedy. However, when you really look at it the protagonist achieved what she wanted: erasing So’s bloodlust from history. He wasn’t the villain she remembered learning about in high school by the end. If the protagonist accomplishes her quest, is it really that unhappy of an ending?

So when you watch this drama, watch it with plenty of comfort food and towels or tissues (I recommend towels)! I think I will always have a love-hate relationship with this drama- It's worth all five stars (5/5) but it leaves a scar!